Basic Nutrition Flashcards
What does a high blood / milk urea suggest?
Insufficient FME in diet / excess ERDP (effective rumen degradable protein)
What does soya provide in the diet?
Undegradable protein
High biological value, digested in the abomasum but expensive
What % protein does a dairy cow require in her diet?
16% if milk yield is less than 8000L
18% if milk yield is over 8000L
When does silage have the highest protein and energy?
Spring = first cut
What determines the production of ME from FME?
Rumen health
In SARA the amount of ME yielded from the same foodstuffs will be reduced compared to a healthy rumen
What are long chain carbohydrates and what do they provide in the diet?
Cellulose, hemicellulose
Provide fibre - slowly fermented
What are short chain carbohydrates and what do they provide in the diet?
Starches and sugars
What two in food factors determine whether a cow meets her energy requirement?
Dry matter intake
Energy density
What are the dry matter intakes of dairy cows at different points in the production cycle, in percentage of body weight?
Maintenance = 2 - 2.5% - 14kg for a 700kg cow
30L per day = 3% - 21kg
50L per day = 4% - 28kg
What is a 700kg cow’s dry matter intake at the different stages of gestation?
Start of dry period - 12-14kg
Last 3 weeks - 11-12kg
Last few days - 8-10kg
What is the maintenance energy requirement of a cow?
65-70 MJ
What is the production requirement for milk?
5 MJ per L of milk
How much energy does weight loss mobilise?
30 MJ per kg of body weight
What multiple of maintenance is required for each stage of production?
End of gestation = 2x maintenance
Low yielding lactation = 3x maintenance
High yielding lactation = 5.6 x maintenance
What should you ensure to reduce the risk of SARA?
Low energy density diet
Good forage : concentrate ratio
At what time is a cow most at risk of entering NEB?
The first few weeks post partum
Massive energy demand for milk and reduced dmi
What target condition score loss is acceptable post calving?
0.5 - 1
What dry matter intake should you aim for at peak milk yield?
4%
What dry matter intake should a cow be eating in the dry period?
12 - 14 kg
What dry matter intake in the dry period should you be concerned about?
Less than 11kg
What energy density should you have in a dry cow diet?
8-8.5 MJ ME/kg DM
What energy density should you have in a lactating cow diet?
11.5 - 12.3 MJ ME/kg DM
What is the maintenance energy of a cow in the early drying off period?
65 + 20 = 85
What is the maintenance of a cow at dry off?
65 + 30 = 95
Feed 4-5kg straw to ensure low energy but high fibre
What is the maintenance of a cow during the transition period?
110-130 MJ per day
MD - 9.5-10
CP 13-15%
Useful equation for working out maintenance during lactation
2.5% bwt + (0.1 x yield)
What is the maximum acceptable forage to concentrate ratio?
40 : 60
Best to be 60:40
What is the maximum amount of cake to be fed at a time?
2kg
What barrier space should you allow a cow?
90 cm/cow
What size should a cubicle be?
4ft per cow
What is he BCS target at drying off?
2.5 - 3
What is the BCS target at calving / close to calving?
2.5 - 3
What is the BCS target during peak lactation (6-8 weeks) post calving?
2.5 - 3
What is the BCS target at mid to late lactation?
2-3
What things should you look for when assessing dry cow management?
BCS - aim 2.5-3, shouldn’t have lost more than 0.5
Beta hydroxybutyrate - ketosis in 7-10d post calved
Non essential fatty acids - indicates fat mobilisation in cows 2-3 weeks into the dry period
Rumen fill
Faecal consistency
Rumen sampling
Butterfat %
Milk protein
Leftovers / feeding space
Ca / Mg problems
Disease - LDA, RFM, milk fever, cysts, endometritis
What is the stocking density for dry cows?
1.3 m squared per 1000L of herd yield
What calving index should a dairy farmer be aiming for?
370-400 days
60 dry period
305-340 day lactation period
What kind of diet should you feed in the 1st 5 weeks of the dry period?
Low energy, high fibre
DMI - 10-14 kg
Energy density 7.5-8.5
ME - 65+30
When should cows be swapped on to a transition diet?
Last 3 weeks of the dry period
What is the transition period?
3 weeks pre calving until 3 weeks post calving
What length must straw be chopped to in a dry cow diet?
2 inches
When is the peak dry matter intake?
4-10 weeks post calving at peak milk yield
3-4%
How should you dry off a cow?
Stop milking
Teat sealant - control environmental mastitis
Intramammary antibiotic - contagious mastitis
Move to dry cow housing and put on a far off dry cow diet
When should you move the cow to the calving pen?
2nd stage labour
Any earlier than this will stop the cow from calving
What is fat mobilisation syndrome in the cow, what are the risk factors?
Hepatic lipidosis and bovine type 2 diabetes
Presents as reduced milk yield
Risk factors:
Obesity - a high level of visceral fat (particularly overfeeding in the dry period or during the low yielding period of lactation)
Negative energy balance (dry period, early lactation)
When does metabolic disease in dairy cattle most commonly occur?
1st 10-12 weeks of lactation
What are common conditions that present in the 10-12 weeks immediately post calving?
Milk fever Retained foetal membranes Metritis / endometritis Mastitis Displaced abomasum Ketosis Fertility Lameness
